Can the liberal state deny marriage licenses to polygamous partners, typically one man and two women? This was once the main argument against same-sex marriage recognition - it would require the state to recognize polygamous ones as well. That is hardly clear. John Stuart Mill believed liberalism to be hostile to laws making polygamy a crime, but disapproved of state recognition of polygamy, on the ground that it has third-party effects harmful to women. n18 In our society, polygamy would make it easier for many women to find husbands, but a modern Millian would doubt that women who share their husbands with other women would find happiness, because the bargaining position of the man within marriage would be so much greater. In fact, this liberal argument against polygamy is one of the best arguments for same-sex marriage. If women had other options, other than marrying men, their bargaining power within male-female marriage would be greater, and wives might actually start getting the equal treatment our society has long claimed that they have.